McGrady, Apodaca earn chairmanships

Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 8:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 8:24 p.m.

Two local elected officials broadened their influence Tuesday in the N.C. General Assembly.

Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-District 117) was named a chair of a House appropriations committee overseeing education Tuesday, while Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-District 48) was tapped to co-chair a Senate committee on pensions.

House Speaker Thom Tillis named McGrady one of three chairs of the House Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, along with Reps. Hugh Blackwell and Craig Horn. He was one of only three Western North Carolina representatives to be named to an appropriations committee.

Meanwhile, Senate leader Phil Berger named Apodaca and Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County as co-chairs of the Senate Pensions & Retirement and Aging Committee. Apodaca co-chaired the committee last session with Sen. Wesley Meredith (R-19.)

Berger announced last week that he intended to reappoint Apodaca as the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations. That committee is one of the most powerful in the Senate since it controls the flow of legislation and governance of the chamber’s operations.

<p>Two local elected officials broadened their influence Tuesday in the N.C. General Assembly.</p><p>Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-District 117) was named a chair of a House appropriations committee overseeing education Tuesday, while Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-District 48) was tapped to co-chair a Senate committee on pensions.</p><p>House Speaker Thom Tillis named McGrady one of three chairs of the House Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, along with Reps. Hugh Blackwell and Craig Horn. He was one of only three Western North Carolina representatives to be named to an appropriations committee.</p><p>Meanwhile, Senate leader Phil Berger named Apodaca and Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County as co-chairs of the Senate Pensions & Retirement and Aging Committee. Apodaca co-chaired the committee last session with Sen. Wesley Meredith (R-19.)</p><p>Berger announced last week that he intended to reappoint Apodaca as the chairman of the Senate's Committee on Rules and Operations. That committee is one of the most powerful in the Senate since it controls the flow of legislation and governance of the chamber's operations.</p>